Chief of Staff - Shipbuilding

Hanwha Defense USA, Inc.•Arlington, VA

1d•$200,000 - $300,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief of Staff serves as senior executive advisor and operational coordinator to the President, US Shipbuilding. The role helps ensure strategic priorities are delivered, cross-functional initiatives are managed, and communication flows efficiently among the executive team, staff, and stakeholders. The company seeks a high-performing professional who can contribute to its transition to a premier U.S. shipbuilder. The ideal candidate has shipbuilding-affiliated experience, strong organizational, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, and the ability to operationalize and achieve leadership intent. This role coordinates the President-level decision process, collaborates across business and functional teams, leads headquarters internal products, and supports growth strategy deployment. It monitors U.S. federal shipbuilding spending and acquisition activity, establishes the operating rhythm across a multi-location team, manages high-priority actions through closure, and helps resolve competing priorities and unclear decision rights. The Chief of Staff also develops and maintains relationships with government decision-makers, industry partners, suppliers, and associations. The position is based on-site in Rosslyn, Virginia, with travel required. The job description gives travel estimates of up to 25% in the location line and 20% domestic plus 10% occasional international travel in the physical demands section. The role requires the ability to obtain a SECRET-level security clearance. Compensation may include base salary, discretionary annual bonuses, benefits, and other compensation; no salary range is provided.

Requirements

20 years of relevant experience in U.S. defense business development, DOW acquisition, or shipbuilding government or industry roles.
Significant experience with international business and cross-cultural deliverables.
Outstanding communication and organizational skills; must be a self-starter.
Must be able to obtain a SECRET-level security clearance.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Defense Acquisition, or a related field.
Expertise in the U.S. defense acquisition system and ability to navigate complex program requirements.
Working understanding of shipyard operations, including production sequencing, capacity constraints, and skilled trades workforce dynamics, sufficient to translate between yard execution realities and headquarters or customer expectations.
Ability to operate with delegated authority across peers and senior direct reports without formal line authority, using judgment and discretion.
Strong bias toward closure and comfort owning ambiguous problems, driving them to resolution, and handing them off cleanly.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, including the ability to brief senior leaders across internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to learn quickly and adapt in a high-pressure maritime and defense market.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and common business operations platforms such as CRM, project and portfolio management, and business intelligence tools.
Normal amount of sitting or standing, average mobility around an office, ability to work at a computer, close vision, and ability to adjust focus.
Ability to travel domestically and occasionally internationally.

Nice To Haves

Prior military or civilian DOW service.
Experience working with or within DOW, USCG, or acquisition communities.
Experience with financial analysis and support of merger and acquisition or corporate development efforts.
Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or equivalent) or DAWIA/Defense Acquisition certification.

Responsibilities

Serve as the integrator for President-level decisions by triaging matters for the President, delegation, or staff-level resolution and routing them accordingly.
Collaborate with business development, industrial expansion, engineering, supply chain, contracts, program management, IT, and finance teams to deliver cross-functional operational success.
Serve as the business unit’s lead for headquarters’ internal products.
Support deployment of the team’s growth strategy.
Monitor and assess U.S. federal shipbuilding spending trends, acquisition strategies, and other activity relevant to the maritime industrial base.
Design, install, and run the front-office operating rhythm across the U.S. shipbuilding team, including staff meetings, business reviews, quarterly board meetings, and semiannual strategy sessions.
Own the tasker and action-item process for high-priority initiatives, including capturing commitments, assigning owners and due dates, driving closure, and surfacing risks.
Deconflict priorities and competing demands among direct reports and intervene when roles, decision rights, or escalation paths are unclear.
Foster and maintain trusted relationships with staffs of key government decision-makers, primes, first-tier suppliers, and industry associations to position the company as a credible, capable, and trusted partner.